Cellular service providers (CSP) provide wireless services to their subscribers in many areas of the country. However, coverage of their cellular network may still be spotty. Users who pass through areas with poor coverage may experience degradation of voice quality or call disconnection. Users who are annoyed by the spotty coverage may call their CSP and request that they add equipment to their network; however it can be a challenge to decide where to invest limited resources of the CSP in order to get the greatest impact for their investment. In addition, some locations may experience sporadic interference from other equipment. The interference may be confined to a limited area within a given cell and finding the area may prove to be a difficult task.
A similar scenario may exist in the enterprise environment where wireless phones are deployed. Many deployments require dedicated teams with special equipment to walk around buildings in an attempt to map the signal strength with the goal of optimizing the positioning of the wireless antennas. The site mapping process may need to be repeated a few times as the information technology department learns about the calling and mobility patterns of users and as the impact from local interferences is better understood.
Some CSPs implement GPS and other location technologies into their cellular phones and mobile devices. Some implementations allow users to communicate device location (e.g., latitude and longitudes) with multiple levels of precision. The devices may also enable notification ability wherein mobile devices provide intelligent alerts from within an enterprise based on business process and event triggers.